Only the 37th worst!

Gawker.com is our favorite time-wasting website when we should be reporting columns but, instead, troll the internet for amusing diversion.

Today brings the second installment of Gawker's "Worst 50 States in America." We thought, given that the writers are from attitude-challenged New York (gee, big surprise, ranked "the least worst state"), we would rank No. 1 but Pennsylvania arrived at a lovely 37.  In other words, not so bad.

The post gives a couple of props to Philadelphia but gets some things wrong: "Philadelphia, despite its history of being mean to Tom Hanks and Antonio Banderas, is a great city — an old and decaying place where you can still smoke in bars (right?) and get the sandwich of your dreams."

No, Gawker, you really can't smoke in most bars, and some of them are gentleman's clubs, which doesn't really do much for the gay-friendly argument.

However, there's no mention of our wondrous Phils (despite Sunday's 10th inning "National Nightmare" as the DN headline states). And here's the worst horror of all, praise for the other place: "The true unheralded urban gem of Pennsylvania, however, is Pittsburgh, a city that feels like what an American city should feel like," adding "Pittsburgh is a place to be cool."

In what century?

The post notes "But mostly Pennsylvania just has good sandwiches." True, especially the roast pork Italian with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe, gustatory ambrosia that puts the cheesesteak to shame.

But that's just our humble opinion.

Our guess is that messing with Texas is going to come out the very worst, but who knows.

--Karen Heller